Only The Beginning
by Ms Isabella
Summary: Antonio post divorce. While at the zoo, Diego returns a lost wallet, and Antonio has a mystery to solve. Warning: This is an Antonio dating story. If this is not your thing, kindly do not read. Otherwise, please feel free to read, review, opine, comment, and all of that other stuff...Chapter 20 now up.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: After I took this story down off the wall, I received a bunch of PM's requesting for me to put it back up. After thinking about it, I decided that it does belong here, and I'm just going to say it straight out… if it's not your cup of tea, please don't bother to read it. While some may not enjoy it, others do, and it's not fair to deprive those who want to read it of that opportunity. Grazie. A special shout out goes to 2NYwlove for not only suggesting the idea but also for kicking my butt into writing it. _

Only The Beginning

Chapter 1

"Excuse me, Ma'am?" a child's voice called from behind her. She turned. A boy about the age of 10 was following her.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"You dropped your wallet at the drink stand," he said, handing it over to her. 

"Thank you. It was kind of you to return it."

The boy blushed. He looked down at the ground for a minute, then looked back up at her. "My Dad's a cop. He'd kick my butt if I didn't return it," he admitted sheepishly.

"Sounds like he's raising a good child," she said as opened her wallet. Her credit cards and license were there. As she opened the bills section, she heard a male voice.

"Diego!"

The child turned toward the voice.

'_Must be Dad,'_ she thought as she extracted a bill.

"Over here, Dad!" he called.

A few seconds later, Diego's father appeared. She sucked in her breath. He was what she called Latino Gorgeous. Dark hair, eyes, and skin. She felt an itch where she hadn't felt an itch in quite a while.

"She dropped her wallet, and I returned it to her," he explained when his father reached him.

"He did," she confirmed. "Would it be all right if I reward him for being honest?"

"That's not necessary," Diego's father said. "I taught him to do the right thing without expecting a reward."

She nodded. "He said you were a police officer."

"Detective," he corrected as he stepped forward, offering his hand. "Antonio Dawson."

"Buffy Rodriguez," she said as she shook his hand. Strong grip. Sexy as hell voice. He was what her besties would call the whole package. And he was married. _'Just my luck,'_ she thought. _'All of the nice and good looking ones are married.'_

Antonio took her in. Tall, definitely Hispanic, but not sure if she was Puerto Rican, Mexican, or South American. But the name Buffy just did not jive with her last name.

"Is your name really Buffy or is it a nickname?" he asked curiously.

"It's a nickname. My brother couldn't say my real name when he was little, so he christened me Buffy. And no, I am not going to tell you what my real name is."

"No?" he asked curiously.

"No. You're the detective. You can figure it out," she challenged.

"Dad?" Diego asked. Antonio turned his attention back to his son.

"What is it, Diego?"

"We want to go see the polar bears. Can we?"

"Of course." He turned his attention back to Buffy so he could excuse himself politely. He started to say something, then realized he was talking to the air and she had slipped away.

'_Damn,'_ he thought. _'Pretty and silent.'_

He sighed. She had thrown down the challenge, and he was certainly going to take her up on it.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Antonio stared at the computer in frustration. He had wasted three hours trying to track down Ms. Buffy Rodriguez, and he was having absolutely no luck. He had started out by checking Facebook, because everyone seemed to have a Facebook account. Even Voight had a Facebook page. He also struck out on Twitter, MySpace, and Linked In. He tried the White Pages. There were no listings. That didn't surprise him because if she was single and living alone, she probably had an unlisted number for safety reasons.

He sighed and pulled up the state's license website. If she was any type of professional, she would have to have some sort of license. He found nothing under health care professionals, attorneys, cosmetologists, barbers, notary publics, funeral directors, or architects. "Ok, Ms. Rodriguez, where the hell are you?" he mumbled to himself as Cailin Callahan entered the office. He shrunk the screen and got up from his desk.

"Hey," he said as he walked over to the coffee pot. "What's up?"

He filled two mugs and handed one over to her. She slipped him an evidence bag. "Here's your DNA sample."

He took it and slipped it into his pocket. "Thanks, Cally. I'll get it to the lab. Appreciate the help."

"'Tonio, be careful. This is nothing to mess around with."

"I will be. You be careful too."

Cailin heard the unmistakable footsteps of Hank Voight walking in the room. He gave Cailin a look that obviously said _what in the Hell are you doing here? _ Not wanting to piss him off more, she started for the door and back to VC.

Antonio sipped his coffee and went back to his computer. _'Okay, Ms. Rodriguez, where are you hiding?'_

Buffy slipped her headphones on and adjusted them to her ears. Taking a deep breath, she flipped on her mic. "Good Afternoon, Chicago. It's a gorgeous day out there with sunny skies and a high temperature of 82. I'm Bree Austin playing all of your favorite oldies, and starting us off is Elton John with Someone Saved My Life Tonight." She pushed a button and the CD player started to play Elton John.

Antonio heard the voice coming over the radio. It seemed familiar and he tried to place it. As he heard the strains of Someone Saved My Life Tonight, it clicked. He typed in the radio station's website. He placed the mouse over the On Air Staff link and waited while the staff photos came up. "Well, well, well, what have we here?" he mumbled as the photo came up with the name Bree Austin underneath it. The face staring back at him was none other than Ms. Buffy Rodriguez.

"Bingo!"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Hey, Buffy, you've got a visitor."

Buffy started another song and left the booth and made her way out to the office. She stopped dead in her tracks when she noticed Detective Antonio Dawson standing in the reception area. "Detective Dawson," she acknowledged.

"You've been very difficult to track down, Grace," he started.

She cringed when she heard him state her given name. "Ok, so you found me. You come to arrest me?"

He smiled, amused. "Should I?"

"I can't imagine why else you would be here." She held up a finger and left the room, stepping briefly inside the studio to start another CD. Antonio followed her, and looked around.

"So this is where all of the magic happens," he observed.

"Pretty much. So you're here why?" she asked, still unsure of why he was here.

"Well, I didn't have a number to call you, so I thought I'd come over to ask if you'd like to have dinner."

She bit her lip, trying to phrase a polite refusal. "I don't think so," she said.

"Don't date cops?" he challenged.

"Don't date married men."

"I'm not married anymore. My wife divorced me a year and a half ago."

"I'm sorry."

She felt bad for him. That was why he was at the zoo with Diego. It must have been his visitation weekend.

"So… dinner… Friday night?"

"Let me think about it," she conceded. She wanted time to investigate him and see if he was telling her the truth or not.

"Fair enough. I'll be in touch."

He left the station more confused than when he went in. He wasn't sure if she was giving him the brush off or if she was going to check her book and make sure that she was free. He wondered if he should have tried to get her number when they were at the zoo, but Diego wanted to see the polar bears and he didn't want to disappoint his son. Time with him and Ava was precious and he took his responsibilities as a father very seriously.

Buffy returned to work. Throughout the rest of her shift, she found herself wondering if she had done the right thing by not saying yes to a date with Detective Dawson. When they were at the zoo, she found him attractive, but she had pushed all thoughts out of him out of her mind when she thought he was married. The way her luck ran, all of the handsome men were either married or gay. It had been a while since she had even thought of dating that she had begun to think her current dry spell was going to last forever and she was going to wind up being one of those crazy cat ladies that everyone had joked about.

She wished she knew what District house he worked out of. At least if she knew that, she could call him and give him an answer.


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's Note: I need to thank you all for the support and messages I have received saying Y'all are happy that I am finishing this story. You are all great! Thank you from the bottom of my heart. _

Chapter 4

"Moooooooom, I can't find my glove," Julian called from his bedroom. "Where did you put it?"

Downstairs in the kitchen, Buffy rolled her eyes. "It's wherever you put it last, Julian. I didn't put it anywhere," she called up to him.

She added meat and cheese to another taco shell and set it on a plate. Little League season was in full swing, and as usual, Julian was missing something. Last week it had been his cleats. The week before that it was his cap. This week it was his glove. Of course, if he would clean his room, he would probably find it.

She had given up trying to get him to keep his room clean. 9 year old boys, unless they were obsessive compulsive, just seemed to thrive on clutter and chaos.

"Found it," he announced as he stomped down the steps and into the kitchen. He was dressed in his uniform, the missing glove attached to his hand.

"Sit down and eat," Buffy said as she set the plate in front of his seat at the table.

Julian looked at the tacos and made a face. "Tacos?"

"Sorry, Kid, best I could do. The chicken is still frozen."

"You know that's why they have microwaves," Julian pointed out.

"Yes, but it still wouldn't be done in time for you to go to the game."

"Mom, why don't you just admit you don't like to cook?"

Buffy's eyes widened. She had no idea where Julian had come up with the idea that she didn't like to cook. It wasn't true exactly. She just didn't like to cook for two. Years earlier, when she was first married, she had envisioned a house full of children that didn't materialize. Neither did happily ever after. "I like to cook."

"But you don't cook like Grandma does."

"Julian, nobody cooks as good as Grandma does. She's been cooking more years than you and I have been alive. Now, finish up so we can leave."

As Julian raced off to meet his teammates, Buffy stayed behind in the car. She pulled out her cell phone and called her brother.

"Hey, Buff, what's happening?"

"Nothing much," she admitted. "I just dropped Julian off for his game."

"And you didn't tell me?"

"Marco, I never know when you're working. You change shifts like I change my underwear. And I'll bet you're working now."

"Nope. Just got home. I'm gonna change my clothes and come watch my Godson play ball."

"Ok, so I'll see you in a few, but I need some info."

"Shoot."

"Seriously? You say shoot when you're CPD?"

"Only for you Gracia Margaret."

She pounded the steering wheel. She hated her given name. Buffy wasn't much better, but it was a hell of a lot better than Grace Margaret. "Some day I am going to pound the shit out of you," she said evenly.

Marco laughed. "That'll be the day, little sis. Anyway, what can I help you with?"

"Detective Antonio Dawson."

"'Tonio? What about him?"

"What district?"

"The 2-1. Intelligence Unit. Why?"

She sighed. Marco would find out sooner or later, so she decided to play it straight. "Because I might have a date with him on Friday night."

"Might? What do you mean might?"

"Well, I need to find a sitter, and I need to know I'm not going to go out with an ax murderer or something."

"'Tonio's good police. You don't need to worry about him being an ax murderer. Now if you need a sitter, call Mama."

"Not a good idea. She'll have us married by the end of the night."

Marco laughed. "True. But you won't have to pay her and you know he'll be safe and fed well."

"True," she agreed.

"So I'll see you in a few."

"Ok. Be careful."

"Always."

Buffy disconnected the call and slipped her phone in her pocket. She got out of the car and walked over to the bleachers. She would call the 21st Precinct later. She wanted to concentrate on Julian's baseball game.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Buffy slid over on the bleachers when she saw Marco making his way over to her.

"Hey," Marco greeted as he gave Buffy a hug. "How's it going?"

"Well, they're getting their butts kicked, but it's only the second inning."

"How bad?"

"6-0."

"Julian get up to bat yet?"

"He had a pop up fly."

"Well, even Babe Ruth struck out more than he hit home runs."

Buffy reached into the tote bag sitting beside her. She drew out a can of soda and handed it over to him.

"Thanks, Buff." He opened the can and took a long drink. "What would I do without you?"

"Pray you never have to find out."

"Hey, when you were on active duty, it was hell without you."

"Stop," she said as she waved her hand. "You still had Mama to take care of you. Which reminds me. When are you going to settle down? I'm dying to become an Aunt again."

"I should ask you the same thing. You think you could get something going with Antonio?"

"Don't know. I haven't even told him yes or no yet."

"Tell me yes or no what?"

Buffy heard a voice and turned her head. Standing beside the end of the bleachers was Detective Antonio Dawson. "Antonio. Hello," she stammered while she glared at Marco. He gave her a sheepish smile and shrugged his shoulders.

"Hello, Ms. Rodriguez. Tell me yes or no what?" he repeated as he waited for her to give him permission to join her.

"I'll get you for this," she muttered in Marco's ear. She turned to Antonio. "Tell you yes or no about having dinner on Friday."

"So, you've decided?"

"I have." She glanced at him still standing beside the bleachers. "Are you going to stand there all night or are you going to sit down?"

"Depends on your answer." She was making him work for this just a little too much. "Marco, you didn't tell me Buffy was your sister."

"Didn't ask, Bro," Marco grinned. "And I'm only going to say if you don't treat her right, you're gonna have me to answer to."

"She hasn't told me yes yet," Antonio reminded.

"But she hasn't told you no either," Marco reminded.

Buffy leaned over and whispered in Antonio's ear. He grinned and made his way up the bleachers to sit next to her. Julian's team was just heading for the dugout to start the bottom of the inning.

"Let's go, Julian!" Marco called as the nine fielders straggled into the dugout.

"Julian's your son?" Antonio asked.

Buffy nodded. "He's 9. First year of Little League."

"Diego's 10. He's into soccer."

"So is Julian. He plays fall league."

The first player on Julian's team came out of the dugout and headed for the batter's box.

"Who is that?" Marco asked.

"That's Bobby Cochran. He's good," Buffy said. "Watch him. He's going to be a pro someday."

Bobby kicked at the dirt with his cleats and started warming up his swing.

"Come on Bobby!" Buffy called. "Base hit!"

Marco looked at her. "You're cheering for someone who's not your kid?"

"He's Julian's teammate. Of course I'm cheering for him."

The game ended and Julian made his way to the bleachers. He hung his head as he approached his Mom and Uncle. "I'm sorry, Mom," he said.

Buffy bent down to his level. "Hey, Kiddo, it's okay. You can't win every game."

"But we got our butts kicked."

"So? It's one game, Julian. That doesn't mean the next time you play them they're going to kick your butts again. It just means that today they were the better team. That's all."

Julian looked up at her with his eyes full of surprise. "So you're not mad at me?"

Buffy reached out and hugged him. "Of course not. Losing a ball game is nothing to get mad about."

"Hey, Kiddo, do you want to go get pizza or ice cream?" Marco asked.

"Pizza. And ice cream."

Marco laughed. "Ok. We can do that."

Buffy stood up. "Julian, I would like you to meet someone. This is Detective Antonio Dawson."

Julian looked up at him. He held out his hand. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Dawson. Do you work with Uncle Marco?"

"Afraid not, Julian. I work with the Intelligence Unit."

"Cool. What does the Intelligence Unit do?"

"Catches the bad guys just like the whole force."

"Julian wants to be a cop when he grows up," Marco said to Antonio.

"Do you really, Julian?"

Julian nodded. "I wanna be a Detective."

"We need detectives."

"That's cool!"

"Hey, Mr. Dawson, are you coming for pizza and ice cream with us?"

Antonio squirmed. He wasn't sure if he should go with them. While Buffy had accepted his offer of a date for Friday night, he didn't know how she felt about him tagging along on what seemed to be a family ritual after a baseball game.

"Please do," Buffy said as she noticed his hesitation.

"You'd better, Bro. Julian invited you and you can't say no," Marco chimed in.

"Then I'd be happy to."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"I'll make sure they get home okay," Antonio said to Marco. "I can follow them in my car."

"Thanks, Bro. I owe you one," Marco said as he shook Antonio's hand.

While the guys were chatting, Buffy made her way to her car and placed Julian's gear in the trunk. Julian walked over and opened the car door. "Mom?"

"Hummm?" she asked as she closed the trunk lid and started for the front seat. 

"Are you going to go out with Antonio?"

"Yes. We're going to have dinner on Friday night." She slid behind the wheel and buckled her seat belt.

"Well, that's good."

"Why do you say that?" she asked as she started the car.

"He's nice. And if he's a friend of Uncle Marco's, then he can't be all that bad," Julian concluded.

"It's one date, Julian. It's not like I'm going to marry the guy."

"Yet."

"Excuse me?" she asked, incredulous. "Why in the hell would you say that?"

"Mom, I saw the way he looked at you. He likes you. And he's following us home to make sure we get home alright. That's Uncle Marco's job."

"It's not Marco's job. Marco _thinks _it's his job." She stopped at the traffic light and leaned her head against the headrest. Her child was way too smart for his own good. He knew too much for any nine year old. Somehow, she was going to have to talk to Marco about his conversations about women with his son.

"He's worried about you, Mom."

"I'm fine, Julian. He shouldn't worry."

"You don't get it do you? You're important to him."

"I worry about him too."

"Mom, he's a cop. He can take care of himself."

Buffy pressed the gas pedal. Her son knew entirely too much for his age. "He can. But he still needs to find a nice girl and settle down."

"Mom, you know that isn't going to happen."

"One never knows, Julian. Stranger things have happened."

She pulled the car into the driveway and turned off the engine. Julian practically flew out of the car and into the house. Buffy walked down to where Antonio had parked his car. "Thanks for following us home."

"My pleasure," he said. He noticed her expression. "Are you okay?"

"I just had the weirdest conversation with my son."

"Is that good or bad?"

"I'm not sure, but it's definitely one for the record books. No nine year old should be that smart or that intuitive."

"Sometimes they surprise you."

"Oh, he definitely did that. I made the comment about wishing Marco would find a nice girl and settle down. He told me 'Mom you know that isn't going to happen,'"

Antonio chuckled. "Considering how he has a different woman every night, I think it's safe to say that Julian is right."

"That's what scares me. If he is right on this, he is right on other things too."

Before Antonio could answer her, his phone rang. He checked the screen. "I have to take this," he said gently, wishing he didn't. "I'll see you on Friday night." He gave her cheek a quick kiss before walking toward his car and accepting the call. 

Buffy walked up the driveway and into the house. "My life is getting too weird," she announced to the empty hallway.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

_Author's Note: I must give you my most heartfelt apologies for making you all wait so long for this installment. I've been studying for boards, and while I haven't taken them yet, I need a bit of a break, so you all get the next chapter. Special shout out and thanks to 2NYwlove for all of her encouragement, support and being a sounding board, to When I Make It Shine for all of the support and great reviews, and everyone else who reads and reviews. I cannot thank you enough._

Buffy stared at the Cubs tickets sitting in front of her. Earlier that day, she received a phone call from St. Ignacious that she has won the monthly raffle. Julian had brought the tickets home from school that afternoon. Ordinarily, she would have been thrilled with the prize. The dilemma was the game was for Friday night—her date with Antonio.

"Hey, Sis," Marco greeted as he entered the kitchen through the back door. He placed a kiss on her cheek and walked over to the coffee pot. "What's going on?"

"Nothing much. You working Friday night?"

Marco poured his coffee and opened the fridge for cream. He poured the liquid Coffee Mate into the cup. "No, but I thought you wanted me to babysit?"

"I asked Mom, but if you want to, I guess I can let her know."

"No biggie. Mom can sit. What's up?"

She held up the Cubs tickets.

"Ahhh.. You won the monthly raffle," he observed.

"Yep."

"And let me guess. The tickets are for Friday night, and you have a date with Antonio."

"You've got it."

Marco opened the fridge again and looked inside. He moved a couple of containers around. "Buff, how come you never have anything good in your fridge?"

Buffy rolled her eyes. There were plenty of leftovers in her fridge, but as usual, Marco wanted something he could just grab and eat. "There are some fajitas in there, but if you planned on staying for dinner, it's another hour to cook."

"So you're asking me to stay for dinner?"

"If you don't have a date."

"No date. Taking tonight off." He sipped his coffee. "You know, I'm sure if you call Antonio and explain about the tickets, he might be willing to change his plans."

"You think?" she asked.

"Never hurts to ask. What's the worst think he could do?"

"Say no."

"And I'm sure you've been told no before."

"Only about a billion times."

"So give him a call."

"Can't."

"Why not?"

"Don't have his number."

Marco gave her a confused look. "You don't have his cell?"

"He didn't give it to me."

"And of course, you didn't ask either."

She shook her head.

"No problem." He pulled his out his cell and started to dial. He handed Buffy his phone.

"Hey, Marco, what's up?" she heard Antonio ask.

"It's—It's—It's Buffy," she stammered. "Marco's letting me borrow his phone."

Antonio's face brightened when he heard her voice, but he quickly sobered. He was in the IU office, and he didn't want to give anything away to his coworkers.

"So what's going on?" he asked as he left the office so he couldn't be overheard.

"Friday night," she started.

"We still have a date, right?" he asked. His heart was pounding, unsure of what she was going to say.

"Well, that's why I'm calling." She glanced over at Marco who was waving his hands around and mouthing 'Tell_ him'_. She dropped her head and stared down at the tickets. "Would you mind terribly if we went to the Cubs game instead of dinner?"

"No, I wouldn't mind at all. But why the change?"

"I won the raffle and the tickets are for Friday night."

He smiled. "That's cool. Nice to know someone I know won the raffle."

"First time ever. Julian brought the tickets home from school this afternoon."

"So what time should I pick you up?"

"How about if I meet you there?"

"That'll be okay. About 6?"

"Fine with me. I'll see you then."

"Ok, Buffy. I'll see you Friday night."

Buffy clicked off the call and handed Marco his phone back. "Now I suppose I really owe you dinner?"

"Nah, but I'll stay anyway. So, when's Julian's next game?"

"Tomorrow afternoon."

"I'll be there."

"He'll like that."

"So, what did Antonio say?"

"He said that the game is fine."

"I knew he would." He made a funny face as his phone buzzed. He looked at the screen.

Buffy got up from the table and started over to the stove. She opened the oven and checked the casserole. She pulled it from the oven and set it on top of the stove. She wrapped the top with foil. She pulled plates out of the cupboard and carried them over to the table. 

"Hey, I gotta go," Marco said into the phone as he hurriedly disconnected the call. "Time to eat?"

"As soon as I set the table. Can you call Julian for me?"

"Of course." He walked over to the back door and yelled Julian's name.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Antonio paced back and forth in front of Wrigley Field waiting for Buffy. It wasn't that she was late, he had arrived early to make sure he would be able to find a place to park. He figured she had to drop Julian off at the sitters and do the other stuff women do to primp for dates. He turned around when he heard his name being called.

"Hey," he greeted as he walked to her and gave her a hug. "Thanks for coming."

She hugged him back. "Thanks for inviting. And thanks for agreeing to the change in plans."

"Nothing like a ball game," he said and she handed him the tickets. "Especially when it's courtesy of St. Ignacious."

"Yeah, I still can't believe I won the raffle."

"You're the first person I know that did."

"That's because it's usually the rich people who buy a bunch of tickets."

"The way it always goes," he agreed as the entered the stadium. Once they were through the turnstiles, he checked the tickets to see where they were going to be seated. "Hey, Buff, these are pretty decent seats."

"Uh huh. St. Ignacious has season tickets just for the raffle."

"And you know this how?"

"My bestie is the church secretary."

"Ah, the lady is connected."

"No, I just have a bit of insider information. All I do is work Bingo one night a month."

Antonio nodded. He was well aware that parents often volunteered their time at the church to get a reduction on their kids' tuition. Somehow, he couldn't see Buffy working Bingo. "What do you do at Bingo?"

"Anything they want me to do. Usually I work the kitchen."

They settled into their seats and waited for the game to start.

"Would be nice if they won," Buffy said, knowing that the Cubs were currently on a losing streak.

"But we love them anyway. Everyone in Chicago loves the Cubs."

"That's true. But it would be really nice if they would win a World Series in my lifetime."

"Everyone's dream."

Buffy smiled. "I don't think Chicago would know what to do with itself if that ever happened. But still we can dream."

Three hours later, they exited the ball park, happy with the results that the Cubs had beaten the pants off of the Pirates.

"Want to grab some coffee?" Antonio asked. They had eaten the usual ball park offerings during the game, but he didn't want the evening to end.

"Sure. Julian is spending the night, so I don't have a curfew."

"Mom sitting?"

She nodded. "Marco offered, but I hate to ask him. I hate to put a cramp in his social life."

"You know he'd cancel a date with a supermodel if you asked him to sit."

"I'm sure he would. But I really want him to find a nice girl and settle down. If he's sitting Julian, he's not out finding a nice girl."

Antonio was touched with her admission. It was very obvious that the Hernandez siblings loved each other dearly. It was refreshing to hear good things about siblings and not the usual not getting along, not speaking to each other, we hate each other dysfunction that seemed to run in modern families.

He opened the car door and waited till she was settled in the seat before walking around to his side of the car. As he got in and buckled his seat belt, he looked over at Buffy. "I can bring you back to get your car."

"Sounds good."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

_Author's Note: Boards and taken and passed, so now all I have to do is go to work. Thanks for all of you who keep reading and those who review. It really means a lot to me. I hope you like this chapter. Special thanks go out to the usual suspects- 2NYWLove, When I Make It Shine, and M. Louise E. _

"So what is good here?" Buffy asked as she looked over the menu.

"Pretty much everything," Antonio said as he closed his menu. "Been coming here for years."

"One way to find out if a place is good—if the force eats there."

"Pretty much," he confirmed. "And I'm sure Marco has given you his opinions."

"Oh yes. And on every waitress that works there. I had no idea there were so many badge bunnies in Chicago."

"You'd be surprised. And I'm sure you have your groupies too."

"Not as much as you would think. Radio's not as big as TV is. You do get a stalker every once in a while, but not often."

"How did you get into radio?"

"Radio operator on the ship. Figured it wasn't much different working for a radio station except I just added in music."

"Ship? You were in the Navy?"

She shook her head. "United States Coast Guard. I was going to make it a career, but didn't."

"You got married and had Julian?"

"Yes and no." She hesitated for a minute, debating if she wanted to go where this conversation was heading. She felt it was too heavy for a first date, but Antonio seemed interested. He was so nice and she didn't want to scare him away. Since she was between the proverbial rock and hard place, she took a deep breath. "I was a Coastie, Miguel was Navy. He was killed in Iraq. He never got to see Julian. That's why Marco is always at my house. He takes his responsibility as Godfather very seriously."

Before Antonio could say anything, the waitress appeared and asked if they were ready to order. They both decided on coffee. Antonio ordered apple pie and Buffy ordered lemon meringue. The waitress, oblivious that they were on a date, kept inventing excuses to visit the table and flirt with Antonio. She had to give him credit. He ignored the flirting and long mooning looks the waitress had given them.

"Marco is a good guy."

"You've known him long?" she asked.

"We were at the Academy together."

"He never mentioned you though. At least not that I can remember."

"We have a tendency not to do that to protect everyone."

"Makes sense."

"So where were you stationed?"

"Mostly the Pacific Northwest. I thought Chicago had lousy weather, but they are way worse."

"I've heard it's beautiful there though."

"It is. It's very beautiful, but all it does is rain. And the Mariners and Seahawks-"

"Not the Cubs and Bears, that's for sure."

She laughed. "I was trying to be polite."

The waitress made yet another appearance to fill coffee cups. She fawned over Antonio and pretty much ignored Buffy until Buffy placed her mug next to Antonio's, subtly letting it be known that she wanted her coffee refilled as well.

"I'm sorry you are being ignored," Antonio apologized, feeling bad that he had decided on the diner.

"It's quite obvious she is interested."

"Yes, but it's rude to exclude you."

"She knows you're paying the bill. She's trying to get not only a big tip, but most likely either your phone number or a date."

He cut off a piece of pie. "Of which she will get neither."

"Can't blame a girl for trying though."

"Hummm?" he asked, mouth full of pie.

"Nice guy. Smart. Dedicated to family. Handsome. The whole package."

He swallowed the pie and washed it down with a couple of sips of coffee."

"Thank you. That was kind of you to say."

"Truth."

Before she could open her mouth and embarrass herself any further, she looked down at her pie and took a bite.

Antonio smiled. She was turning red from the top of her scalp all the way down to her neck. He found it endearing that she was the blushing type. "No need to be embarrassed, Buffy."

She looked up at him. "Sorry. My mouth gets me into trouble sometimes."

He decided to change the subject to keep from her being embarrassed any further. "So, how did you get the name of Bree Austin for your air name?"

"I just made it up one day. Bree came from a James Patterson novel and Austin came from The Six Million Dollar Man."

"Steve Austin?"

She nodded. "I found it on Netflix and got hooked. Call it a guilty pleasure."

"That's cool. I never met anyone with an air name before."

"You'd be surprised at the people that don't use their real names in radio. My real name just doesn't make for good radio."

"I think it's cute."

She sighed. "There is nothing cute about Grace Margaret."

"No, but there is something cute about Buffy."

"Marco couldn't say Grace. That's how I got Buffy." She rolled her eyes.

"So it's all Marco's fault?"

"Everything is Marco's fault," she giggled.

Antonio smiled. "He loves you, you know."

"I love him too."

"Anything else I can get you?" came the voice of the intruding waitress.

"Just the check," Antonio said.

She set the check on the table and walked away to greet new customers.

"Thanks for agreeing to change plans tonight."

"Not a problem. I had fun." 

"Me too," she agreed.

"We'll have to do it again sometime."

"I'd like that."

He took her keys and remoted her car door open. He walked her to the car. "I'll see you soon."

"Hope so," she said as she slipped behind the wheel. "Be careful going home."

"You too."

"I will."

Half an hour later, she unlocked the door to the house and stepped inside. She kicked off her shoes and made her way into the kitchen. 

"Hi. How was your date?" Marco asked as he looked up from the Tribune.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Buffy stared at Marco for a minute. "Jesus Christ, Marco! You scared me out of 10 years growth! What the hell are you doing in my house?"

"Waiting up for you."

"Smartass. Seriously, what are you doing here? Julian is at Mom's."

"Came to see how your date went."

"My date is none of your business," she said as she pulled out a chair and sat down at the table.

"Hey, I have the right to know if he treated you okay. Otherwise he has me to answer to."

"He treated me fine. The Cubs won. We went for pie and coffee afterward. He was a total gentleman and walked me to the car. And that is all you're going to get."

"Fair enough. Another date?"

"I don't think so."

"Why not?"

Buffy sighed. "Marco, would you please mind your own business? How would you like it if I drilled you on every date you go on?"

"But that's different. I'm supposed to date a lot. You're not."

"My dating life is my business. Not yours." She got up from the table and walked over to the fridge. She pulled out the iced tea pitcher and poured herself a glass.

"Ok, fair enough. But if he is treating you like crap, you'd better let me know."

"I don't think that's in his DNA, Marco."

As he made her way over to her seat, her phone buzzed. Immediately, Marco reached over and picked it up, staring at the number. "It's Antonio," he announced as he unlocked the phone. "Hey, Antonio, what's up?"

"Marco, did I misdial? I was trying to reach Buffy," came Antonio's voice.

"No, you didn't misdial. She's right here."

Buffy reached out and snatched her phone out of his hand. "Give me that, you nosy son of a bitch." She left the kitchen and went out the back door, closing it firmly behind her. "Hi," she said into the phone. "Sorry about that. Marco grabbed my phone."

Antonio laughed. "I heard you calling him something very unladylike."

"I came home and found him sitting at my kitchen table. He wanted to know all of the details of tonight."

"So what did you tell him?"

"That the Cubs won."

Antonio laughed again. "You know he's only doing it because he loves you."

"Yes, but I don't grill him like a cheeseburger after every date he goes on."

"You do that and you won't have time to do anything else."

"True," she agreed. "So what can I do for you?"

"I just wanted to call and see that you got home okay. And to let you know that I had a good time tonight."

"I did get home fine, and I had a good time too."

"I'd like to see you again."

"I'd like that," she said, surprising herself. She hadn't dated much since Julian was born because she believed she should concentrate on raising him. Since he was getting older, she'd changed her mind, but she had still made excuses not to date.

"Ok, I'll call you later and we can set something up."

"Sounds good."

"Talk soon," he said as he disconnected.

She hung up the phone and stepped back inside.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

She no sooner stepped back inside than Marco started again. "So, did he ask you out again?"

"Dammit, would you mind your own business?!" Buffy yelled in exasperation. "Who and when I date is none of your business!"

She reached down and picked up the nearest object. It just happened to be her running shoe. She threw at him. It smacked his arm and fell to the floor.

"Ouch! Dammit, whadya do that for?"

"Because you're being an asshole and I'm sick and tired of it! I'm allowed to date. And who I date is none of your business! Stay out of my private life, Marco! I'm warning you!" She yanked open the door. "OUT! RIGHT NOW!"

He looked at her like she had just grown another head. "Buff-" he started.

"OUT!"

He stood up from the table and walked over to her. He gave her a hug. "Ok, I'll go. But I love you and I'll be back to see Julian tomorrow."

He opened the screen door and stepped outside. He heard the door slam as he walked to the car. Maybe he had gone too far in teasing Buffy, but he didn't mean to piss her off. He opened the car door and got in. He started his car up and pulled into traffic.

Ten minutes later, he pulled into the driveway of his mother's house. As he entered, he heard his mother whisper "Quiet. Julian's asleep."

He nodded and gave his mother a hug.

"She make it home okay?"

"Yes, and she's mad at me."

"Marco, you really have to stop annoying her."

"I just asked her how her date went. Then he called her, and she went outside to take the call. She came back in and I asked her if they made another date. She threw her shoe at me."

"You're lucky it was only her shoe. I've told you time and time again to stop antagonizing her and you never quit! You know she's never going to get married again if you keep harassing her about dating."

"Mom, Antonio's a friend. If I find out he hurt Buff- Well, it would be awkward. Hell, it's already awkward. He's dating my sister."

"Would you please watch your language? And keep your voice down. Julian's sleeping."

Marco sighed. "I'll call her and apologize tomorrow morning."

Buffy locked her back door and made her way to the front door to make sure that Marco had locked it. She let out a breath as she checked the door. Wearily, she climbed the steps to the bathroom. Once inside, she closed the door and stripped. She turned on the shower and stepped inside. She adjusted the tap to make the water hotter. She felt the hot water breaking up the tension in her shoulders and back. She picked up the shampoo bottle and tossed it at the wall. "Dammit, Marco! You've gone too far!"

She bent over and picked up the shampoo bottle that was now circling the bottom of the tub. She opened it up and poured some into her palm. She slapped it on the top of her head and washed her hair.

She thought about her date with Antonio. Since he had asked for a second one, she thought it was a success. For the briefest of seconds, she wondered how long they would date before his ex wife came back and he went back to her. "One more date," she decided.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Buffy heard a noise coming from downstairs. She slowly opened her eyes and tried to focus. She closed her eyes again. She was just starting to drift off to sleep when the sound came again. She groaned and rolled over, pulling the pillow over her head. When the pounding came a third time, she groaned and got out of bed. She tossed her sleep shirt over her head before making her way downstairs. The pounding came again. It was then when she realized that it was coming from her front door. "You'd better not be Mormons or Jehovah's Witnesses," she grumbled as she yanked open the door.

"Good morning," came Antonio's cheery voice.

Buffy blinked. Antonio was standing in her doorway looking well rested and gorgeous. She hadn't even brushed her teeth or ran a brush through her hair. "Antonio. Hi," she greeted nervously. He looked like he was stepping off the cover of GQ and she looked like hell.

He held up a bakery bag. "I brought bagels and coffee."

She opened the storm door. "I'm sorry. Come in."

"Sorry to wake you up," he said as he stepped inside.

"You didn't. I had to get up to answer the door."

"Cute and funny too," he said as he kissed her cheek. "Where's the kitchen?"

"That way," she said as she pointed. "Would you mind if I got dressed?"

Antonio sensed her uncomfortableness. "Go ahead. I'll wait in the kitchen."

As he headed through the hall to the kitchen, she raced up the stairs. She dressed, did her hair, and put on some makeup in record time.

"Hey," he said as she came through the kitchen door.

"Hey. Can I get you something to go with that bagel?"

"Sure. I'm sorry for presuming, but you said Julian was staying with your Mom last night."

"He did." She glanced over at him before pulling out her skillet. "Not your weekend?" she asked.

"No. Next weekend. That is, if they want to come. Eva's been kind of testing her independence."

"She's growing up, Antonio. This is what usually happens when they hit the teenage years."

"Yeah, but she's not allowed!" he said.

Buffy smiled as she cracked eggs into a bowl. She added milk, salt, pepper, and grated cheese before she started mixing it all up.

"They grow up with or without your permission."

"Easy for you to say. Julian's only 9."

"He'll be there soon enough. And I'm not looking forward to that day. Especially after last night."

Antonio eyed her. He noticed her shoulders had stiffened and she had hunched over the egg bowl so he couldn't see her face. He walked over to her and put his hands on her shoulders. "Want to talk about it?" he asked softly.

She lifted up her head and blew out the breath she was holding. "You remember last night when I got home?"

"Yes. I called you, remember?"

"Yes. And Marco answered my phone."

Antonio nodded.

"I went outside to take your call," she explained. "When I came back inside, he started in on if you had asked me out again and if you did, was I going to go. I got mad." She turned to face him. "I threw my shoe at him."

Antonio chuckled.

"It's not funny, Antonio! He's so nosy. It's like I'm not allowed to date."

"And you think that because you're mad at him, he won't help you with Julian."

She nodded.

"Buff, of course he will. He loves you and he adores Julian. He'll come around. You'll see. Just don't expect him to stop being your nosy big brother."

She sighed. "It was just way too much last night. I had such a wonderful time, and when I get home, I find him here wanting to know every last detail."

"And you didn't want to tell him."

"Of course not. My dates are private."

"I'll talk to him. Meantime, you'd better get those eggs in the pan or we'll have CFD here in 5 minutes."

She nodded and added the egg mixture to the pan sitting on the burner. "Thank you, Antonio."

"Anytime, Buff. Anytime."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

A plate of scrambled eggs and bacon appeared before Antonio. "Nice," he said.

Buffy sat down opposite him and stacked her bagel with the eggs and bacon making a sandwich.

"That looks good."

She nodded and swallowed. "Do you want some more coffee?"

"Please," he said as he looked at the bottom of his cup.

She left the table and walked over to the coffee pot. She pushed a button and hot water immediately passed over the coffee filter.

"You fill it up before you go to bed?" he asked.

"Yes. That way I don't have to scramble around looking for everything when I'm half asleep."

"That's a good idea."

Just as she sat back down at the table, her back door opened. She looked up and her mouth dropped open.

Marco took in the scene before him and couldn't believe what he was seeing. "Well, isn't this cozy? Sorry to interrupt," he said.

"Hey, Marco," Antonio greeted him.

Buffy covered her face with her hands.

"Can I see you outside, Bro?" Marco asked.

"Sure." He looked over at Buffy. "Be right back."

Antonio stepped outside and closed the door behind him. "What's up?"

"What's up? You're sitting at the table eating breakfast like you don't have a care in the world? I thought you had enough decency to wait more than two dates before you sleep with my sister!" Marco exploded.

"Hold it! Turn it down a notch, Marco. I'm not sleeping with Buffy. I just stopped over with bagels and coffee." He could tell Marco didn't believe him. "Think about it. She came home alone last night after our date, right?"

"Well, yeah," Marco admitted. "But that doesn't mean you couldn't come over later after you knew I wouldn't be there."

"For all I knew you were sleeping on the couch. I didn't know about the fight you two had until this morning."

"Oh, she told you that?" he challenged.

"Yes. She was very upset. I was trying to cheer her up. She loves you so much, she was still upset about the fight you two had last night."

"I did go a bit too far last night. I came over to apologize to her and find you here."

"Maybe it was a bad idea for me to come over," Antonio started. "But we had such a good time last night and I wanted to see her again."

Marco looked at Antonio for a long minute. Being a police officer, he could tell when someone was lying to him. Antonio knew the same thing, so it could be possible that he could be lying. He decided that Antonio was telling the truth. "Ok, ok. I'm sorry. I should have given you the benefit of the doubt. I just don't want her to get hurt."

"I understand that. I don't want her to get hurt either."

"Make sure you don't hurt her. I'm going in to apologize to her. Give me 5 minutes, then come back inside."

Antonio nodded. "Sure."

Marco walked across the yard and up the porch steps. He opened the door and stepped inside. "Buff?" he called.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"Go away," Buffy said as Marco stepped inside again. 

"Come on, don't be like that," he said as he walked over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. She swatted them away.

"Go home, Marco. I don't want to talk to you right now."

He sat down opposite her. "I'm not going home. I came over to apologize."

She picked up her coffee cup and sipped. "Not accepted. Now please leave."

"Buff, look. I know I've been an ass lately. Especially since you started dating Antonio, but it's only because it's I love you."

"Marco, I don't want to talk to you right now. I don't want you to come around for a while. I just want to be left alone." She stood up and walked to the door. She opened it. "See you later."

He stared at her for a few seconds. Slowly he rose from the table. "Ok, I'll go, but don't think this is over."

"Goodbye," she said. Once he was through the door, she closed it firmly. She thought about locking it, but since Antonio was still outside, she decided not to.

She poured another cup of coffee and returned to the table. A few minutes later, Antonio walked through the door.

"Hey," he greeted. 

"Hey. Sorry about that. He really has to learn his place."

"It's okay. We talked. He apologized for what he thought."

"How could he think I would do that?" She looked down at her coffee cup, then up at him. "I mean, we've only had two dates. Three if you count this morning. It's way too soon to think about that. I just can't believe my own brother would think I'm a tramp."

"He wasn't thinking that about you. He was thinking I was taking advantage of you. I set him straight." He sat down next to her and took her hand. "He came over to apologize for his behavior last night."

"I know," she sighed. "And I bit his head off and tossed his ass out the door. I don't regret that. He needs to learn to back off and let me live my life." She looked over at him. "And don't say it's only because he loves me."

"Wasn't going to say a word." He picked up his coffee cup and drank. It had gone cold. He made a face.

She got up and took his cup away. She walked over to the sink and tossed the contents down the drain. She poured a fresh cup and brought it over to him. 

"Thanks," he said as she set it in front of him.

. 'What time do you have to pick up Julian?"

"He has a game at 4. I'll go get him about 2."

Antonio nodded. "Pizza after?"

"Probably. It's sort of become a tradition even if Marco won't be there."

"With Marco, one never knows."

"True. Very true."

Marco entered the house. As expected, his mother was in the kitchen putting the finishing touches on something that looked delicious. He kissed her cheek.

"You don't look happy."

"She threw me out of the house again."

"What did you expect? She's still mad at you."

"Ma, Antonio was there. They were eating breakfast."

Angela looked at her son. "And you automatically assumed he spent the night."

"Well, yeah," he admitted. "But when I called him on it, he said no."

"And you also assumed that your sister would go to bed with someone after a few dates?"

"Buffy? No. But Antonio could have tried something."

"You know your sister can take care of herself. She practically ran a whole ship when she was in the service."

"Ma, she ran the radio room. That's not running the whole ship."

"Sure it is. If something came over that radio and it didn't get to the proper person, she could have gotten in trouble."

Marco rolled his eyes. He knew nothing he could say would convince his mother that his sister had nothing to do with commanding the ship she was on. "Anyway, she's still mad at me."

"With good reason. Not everyone is an alley cat like you are."

"MA!"

"Don't play innocent virgin with me Marco Ricardo. I know where you spend your nights when you're not home. So don't you dare say anything about your sister. She's a good girl and a good Mama. Besides, you should be happy she's dating. Means she might get married again."

Marco sighed. He should have known his mother would take Buffy's side. The two of them were as close as two could be without being joined at the hip. She was right, however. He shouldn't have jumped to conclusions. "I went over to apologize, and she threw me out."

"Of course she did. You embarrassed her in front of her company." She kissed his cheek and slid the pan into the oven and turned on the gas. "You can apologize at Julian's ball game. She might be in a better mood to hear it then."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Julian was out of the car the second that Buffy slid the gear shift into Park. "I'll see you after the game, Mom!" he called as he slammed the door and started running for the dugout.

Buffy leaned her head back against the headrest. Ordinarily, she loved going to Julian's baseball games, but today was not one of them. She was still out of sorts over her fight with Marco. She knew he was going to show up for the game and she still didn't want to talk to him. She heard a voice. She turned her head to find Antonio on the other side of her door.

"What's up?"

"Just got here. He was out of the car before I even hand it in Park."

"Typical boy. Doesn't want to be late for the start of the game. Are you going to sit in the car all day or are you going to go be a Bleacher Bum?"

"Are you calling me a Bum, Detective Dawson?"

"I meant it as a term of endearment, Ms. Rodriguez."

"Give me a minute." She raised the window, then turned the car off, unbuckled the seatbelt and slid out of her seat. Antonio opened the door so she could get out. She used the clicker to lock the car. "So you're going to be a Bleacher Bum?"

"I'm only here for the pizza after the game," he admitted.

She stopped and looked at him. "Seriously, Detective?"

Antonio smiled. She looked adorable standing there calling him on his last comment. He tugged at her ponytail. "Of course not. Came to see you. And Julian play ball."

"That's better."

"You seriously thought I only came for the pizza?"

"Stranger things have happened."

They reached the bleachers. "After you, Ma'am."

Buffy scrambled up onto the bleachers with Antonio following her. He took a seat on her left. "Are you thirsty?" she asked.

"I'm good."

"I have water and soda. And Gatorade for Julian when he gets done."

"You think of everything."

"Comes with being a Mom."

The Tigers opened the game with Bobby Cochran leading off.

"Ok, Bobby, show 'em what you've got!" Buffy called.

"You told me to watch him. You were right. He's going to go places."

"I think so. He has a lot of talent."

"Maybe the Cubs should hire you to scout talent."

"In my dreams, Antonio. Working for Major League Baseball would be a dream come true."

Bobby took three pitches and struck out.

"It's okay, Bobby. There's always next time," Buffy called as he made his way into the dugout.

"You're everyone's cheerleader," Antonio observed.

"Just because I'm Julian's Mom doesn't mean I'm not going to cheer for only my kid. It's a team effort. The whole team needs encouragement."

Antonio thought on that for a minute. "That's true."

Five innings later, Buffy was exhausted. The game had gone back and forth the whole way. Antonio rubbed Buffy's back. "Relax," he whispered in her ear. "They've got this."

She leaned against him. "The Tigers need to get a home run to just end it now," she said.

"You didn't cheer this hard for the Cubs when we went."

"The Cubs aren't living in my house."

Marco spotted Antonio and Buffy sitting in the bleachers. He noticed that Buffy was snuggled in Antonio's arms. _'Getting cozy,' _he noticed. He felt his stomach knot. He was so wrong for assuming the worst in both of them. He climbed the bleachers hoping that Buffy had calmed down enough to accept his apology.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Buffy looked up at Antonio's face. He brushed her hair over her shoulder, and lowered his lips to hers. Antonio brought her closer, and for a minute, time stood still. The baseball game was forgotten. So was the fact that they were in public. Buffy felt the bleachers shaking and heard her brother's voice greeting her and Antonio. She groaned. As always, Marco's timing was less than perfect. He, of course, had just ruined everything. Antonio broke the kiss. Buffy turned her head and glared at Marco.

"Would you please leave?" she hissed through clenched teeth.

"Sorry, Buffles. No can do," he informed her as he sat down next to her.

Buffy broke away from Antonio's embrace. Antonio kept his arm around her shoulder. "Marco," he acknowledged.

"Hey Antonio. Buff."

Buffy hissed at him again.

"I guess you're still mad, huh?"

She glared back at him.

"I told you I'm sorry. I don't know why you're still mad."

"I'm not talking to you."

She turned her attention back to the game. She noticed the batter's number. "Ok, Julian, do your thing!" she called.

"Let's go, Julian!" Marco called.

Buffy watched at Julian's bat connected with the ball. She held her breath. It looked like it was going long. She started bouncing up and down. "YES!" she screamed as the ball sailed over the fence. She jumped up. "Way to go, Julian!"

Antonio stood up beside her. He hugged her as Julian circled the bases. Buffy felt being hugged from behind. Marco had joined in to make it a group hug.

"Pizza's on me," he said.

Julian, Antonio and Marco hungrily dug into the pizza. Buffy picked at hers. "You okay?" Antonio asked.

She nodded. Her appetite had been off ever since the fight. She didn't want to come for pizza after the game, but she couldn't deny Julian, especially since he had hit a home run. She sipped her soda and took another bite of her pizza. It sat in her stomach like a rock. She reached in her purse and pulled out some Tums.

"Not feeling good, Buff?" Marco asked.

She shook her head.

"Go home. I'll bring Julian," he offered.

"No, its okay," she offered.

"No. Go home. I can run Julian home."

"Mom, if you're not feeling good, you should go home and lay down."

She gathered up her purse. "All right. Just don't let the testosterone overflow."

Antonio rose. "I'll walk you to the car."

They exited the pizza shop and walked to her car.

"I'm sorry you're still upset about Marco," he said.

"I'll be okay," she said. "Just don't have much of an appetite."

He moved closer. "I'm sorry the kiss got interrupted."

"Me too," she admitted. "You're a good kisser."

He smiled. "So are you. Can we have dinner some night this week?"

"Sure. Just let me know when."

"I'll call you. Meanwhile, go home and make a cup of tea."

She nodded.

He stepped forward and turned his back so Marco's prying eyes couldn't see what he was about to do. He took her face in his hands and kissed her.

She whimpered. Antonio's kisses were sweet and gentle, but it did the trick. She felt tingles where she hadn't felt them in a long time.

He kissed the tip of her nose, then broke away from her and opened her car door. "See you soon."

"Soon," she echoed as she slipped into the car and buckled her belt.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Once inside her house, Buffy curled up on the couch. She flipped on the TV to the music channels. She closed her eyes and tried to nap. The fight with Marco was wearing her out. She hadn't slept well the night before, her stomach was upset, and she could barely eat.

She felt rotten that she couldn't enjoy the pizza after Julian's game. She wanted to have fun spending time with Julian and Antonio, but it didn't happen. She was grateful that she had another date with Antonio. He was so sweet and kind. She could hardly believe that his ex wife would divorce him.

Half an hour later, Julian let himself in through the back door. "Mom, I'm home!" he yelled.

Buffy sat up from the couch and went out to greet Julian. "Hey, Julian," she greeted.

He handed her the box he was holding. "Here. Uncle Marco and Antonio said you can have the leftovers when you feel better."

She took the box. "Thanks. I'll put it in the fridge."

He took off his cleats and slipped his glove over his bat, placing it in the corner. "Can I play Xbox?"

"Yes. Just keep the noise down, okay?"

"Okay," he agreed as he scampered off to his room.

Buffy placed the pizza box in the fridge. Her stomach growled. She was hungry, but decided against tempting fate. Instead, she made a cup of tea and carried it back to the living room. She turned the TV to WGN to catch up on the news.

Her phone buzzed. She looked at it and sighed. She reached out and declined the call. She couldn't deal with Marco. A few minutes later, the phone buzzed again, this time showing her Mother's number. She debated on answering. She knew Marco could have easily grabbed their Mother's phone to call her and get her to answer. She picked up the phone and texted Marco. _Leave me the hell alone._

She texted her Mother. _If you called me, and it wasn't Marco using your phone, please call me back._

She had no sooner finished texting her Mother than her phone rang again. She unlocked the phone and answered. "Hi," she greeted.

"Hi yourself," he said. "How are you feeling?"

"Better. I had a short nap before Julian got home."

"We sent him home with the leftover pizza."

"It's in the fridge."

"I'm sorry you're not feeling well. And I'm sorry that you and Marco are having trouble."

"I am too. But if it makes him learn his lesson, it's worth a couple of days of heartburn and nausea."

Antonio smiled. He knew this road all too well. He had gone through it with Gabby many times. "I'm sure it will all work itself out. It has with Gabby."

"I'm sure you are right. It is just weird because this has never happened before."

"So, are you going to your Mom's for dinner tomorrow?"

"Yes. Sunday dinner. It's the only day I don't have to cook." She wondered something. "Can I call you back in a few?" she asked.

"Sure. I'll be around."

Buffy disconnected and called her Mother. After a few minutes of conversation, she hung up, smiling. She called Antonio back and invited him for Sunday dinner.

"Be happy to come," he said when she extended her offer.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

"Grandma's in her usual row," Julian reported to his mother as they entered the back of the Church. "Are we going to sit with her and Uncle Marco?"

"Yes," Buffy said as she dipped her fingers in the holy water and made the sign of the cross. "Go ahead. I'll catch up."

As Julian walked down the aisle to sit with his Grandmother and his Uncle, Buffy made her way over to the candles. She lit three, said three prayers after lighting them, and slipped a ten dollar bill through the money slot. She then walked over to the other side of the pew holding her mother, brother, and son, and slipped in next to her mother. Her mother patted her hand. Buffy gave her a small smile.

Buffy felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned her head to look behind her. Antonio gave her a smile. She patted the space next to her. Antonio stood up and joined her in the pew. He slipped her hand in his.

Mass over, Julian, Buffy, and Antonio all arrived at the Hernandez household. Julian raced inside, Buffy stood outside talking to Antonio.

"Buff, you have to go in sometime," Antonio reminded. "Your Mother is going to upset if we don't get in there soon."

"Yeah, I know," she sighed. "I just don't want to face Marco."

"He's apologized how many times now? You really should accept it. You'd feel a lot better. And I'm sure you'd get rid of that diarrhea in a heartbeat."

Buffy groaned. Leave it to Julian to not only find out her GI issues, but to report them back to Antonio. Nothing said romance like Imodium is your best friend.

"Hey, it's okay," Antonio soothed as he took her face in his hands and moved toward her. "I'm a cop, remember? I've seen and heard a hell of a lot worse than diarrhea."

"Do we have to talk about this? It's embarrassing," she admitted. 

"Buff, we're human. Stuff happens. You think I'm going to dump you because of something silly like that?"

"It's been known to happen."

"You're so cute when you're worried," he said as he leaned in and gave her a soft kiss. "It's gonna take a hell of a lot more than that to get rid of me," he whispered in her ear.

Buffy kissed him back. He was such an awesome kisser. She wanted more, but she knew that everyone was waiting inside for them."

"Hey, are you two going to stand out on the sidewalk all day or are you coming inside for dinner?" Mrs. Hernandez called from the porch.

"Busted," Antonio laughed as he took her hand. "Come on, let's go face the music."

Once inside, Buffy and Antonio made their way to the kitchen.

"Mom, what do you want me to do?" she asked.

"Nothing, go sit down. Most everything is on the table. I just have to get the ham out of the oven," Carmen said.

The walked into the dining room. Buffy sat down beside Julian. Antonio took a seat on Buffy's other side after he pushed in her chair. Marco entered the dining room and placed bottles of beer in front of Antonio and Buffy. He took a long pull from his bottle and sat down at the table.

The ham made it to the table, and plates were busy being filled, grace was said, and everyone settled in to enjoy dinner. As expected, the guys ate heartily and Buffy picked.

"Grace Margaret, I went to a lot of trouble to make this dinner. The least you can do is eat it," Carmen admonished.

"I'm trying Mom. I'm just not hungry."

"Grandma, Mom's sick, she's got-"

"Julian!" Buffy said sharply. "That's enough!"

Antonio smiled and looked down at his plate.

"And no comment from you, Detective."

Antonio bussed her cheek. "It's all good, Buff."

Julian looked over at his mother. "Sorry, Mom."

Marco stood up. "I'm getting tired of this crap." He walked over to Buffy, and took her upper arm. "Come on. I want to talk to you."

"Like hell I will! Let go of me, Marco!"

Marco lifted her out of the chair. "Excuse us a minute." He left the room practically dragging Buffy behind him.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Marco marched Buffy out of the dining room, through the kitchen, out the back door, and across the yard to the driveway. He stopped and glared at her. "You are being a bitch, and the only person you are hurting is Julian."

"No, you are hurting Julian. You're teaching him that it's okay to be nosy and I'm trying to teach him that it's rude to stick your nose into other people's business. And you're also hurting him by showing him that it's okay to be a player and not build a good and strong relationship with a woman."

"Oh, so you're going to throw it all back on me. You're not taking any responsibility for any of this?"

"Marco, I love you, but you have to start minding your own business. And assuming that I'm sleeping with Antonio is just so wrong. First of all, neither one of us are ready for that yet, and secondly, I don't sleep with anyone unless I'm going to marry them."

"I know, and I'm sorry for that. I just didn't expect him to be sitting at your kitchen table eating breakfast and drinking coffee. I should have trusted both of you. I really am sorry, Buff. I just want what is best for you and Julian."

"I can take care of myself, you know. I hate to tell you this, but I'm not your baby sister anymore."

"Buff, you will always be my baby sister."

"So, forgive me?" he asked, holding out his arms.

"Ok," she said grudgingly. "But you have to promise to stop meddling in my life and let me live it. I really want to see where this goes with Antonio."

"You like him, huh?"

She nodded. "I do."

"Ok, I can live with that."

"And no showing up at my house after I have a date to find out how it goes?"

"Not unless you call me."

"Deal."

He scooped her into a huge bear hug. "Thanks, Buff. And I'm sorry you got sick. I didn't mean to make you sick."

"Thanks, Marco. I still don't feel too great, but I didn't want to disappoint Julian. You know how he loves Sunday dinner and spending time with Mom."

"And so do you."

"Of course I do. It's the only day of the week that I don't have to cook an entire dinner. I just help her out."

He took her hand and they started walking toward the house. He opened the door for her and she stepped inside.

Antonio looked up as they entered the dining room. "Everything okay?" he asked quietly as she took her place at the table.

"Yes," she said as she picked up her fork. "He is out of the doghouse."

"About time too," Marco said as he picked up his beer. "I'm getting tired of not having a place to hang after shift."

"That's what Molly's is for," Antonio reminded. "My sister is part owner. They need all of the support they can get."


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

"Mom, can I stay over at Grandma's tonight? She's going to teach me how to make fried plantains," Julian asked.

"Of course. And pay attention because her fried plantains are the best on the planet."

"How come you never make fried plantains Mom?"

"Because I can't beat your Grandma's. And the last time I made them, Uncle Marco spit them out."

"They sucked, Buff."

Buffy stuck out her tongue. "That's why you never get fried plantains at my house."

"I don't get fried plantains at your house either," Antonio chimed in.

"And you never will."

Antonio snapped his fingers. "Damn the bad luck."

Buffy looked at her Mother. "I'll run home and get him a change of clothes."

"I have clothes for him here," Carmen said.

"Since when?" Buffy asked.

"Since the day he was born."

"I wasn't living in Chicago when he was born."

"No, you weren't. You were in Seattle. But that didn't stop me from buying him clothes. He's a boy, Grace Margaret, he's going to get dirty. And when he gets dirty, he needs clothes. I've got this covered, don't worry."

Buffy sighed. She was out mothered by her own mother. "Ok, well, since I don't need to do that, I'm going to go for a walk."

"I'll come with you," Antonio said quickly.

As they walked down the street, Antonio slipped his hand in hers. "I hope you don't mind that I invited myself."

"No. I was hoping you would. Sometimes I just need a time out from them."

"How so?"

She sighed. "Marco's busting my balls about my plantains and won't let it go. That, of course, makes me look like I'm a lousy cook right in front of you, giving you more ammunition to not want to see me anymore. Mom keeping a stash of clothes for Julian that I had no idea about. It just gets so overwhelming sometimes."

"Hey, hey, hey," he said softly. He stopped and turned Buffy to face him. "Whoa. Slow down, Graciela. One thing at a time."

"Graciela?"

"I know you hate your name."

"I do. I always have."

"Graciela is a pet name of Grace."

"Ok, so it's a term of endearment."

"Only for you." He took a step toward her. "Don't you remember what I said earlier? About it would take a lot more than diarrhea to make me walk away?"

She nodded.

"It' s going to take a lot more than lousy fried plantains to make me walk away too."

"For real?"

"For real. And the reason why I tagged along on your walk is because I think it's time you meet Eva and Diego."

"You sure they're ready for that?"

"I think so."

"You know best," she conceded. "If you think they are ready, then let's make it happen."

"I'll get it worked out and let you know."

"Ok."

He gave her cheek a kiss before they resumed their walk.


End file.
